Building self-confidence at Hiba Academy Nantong

Su Xun, an intellectual in the Song Dynasty, was still roaming around and not studying at 27 years of age, until one day when he saw a newly declared Zhuangyuan, or Number One Scholar, decorated and on a horse, going through the streets. He then thought, “If this man can achieve this, why can't I?” It was an early example of positive autosuggestion, a way of guiding one’s thoughts, feelings, or behaviour. Su Xun then began to study hard. He eventually became a great scholar fathering two sons, Su Shi and Su Zhe, who both became great writers. They became one of the most extraordinary literary families in China's history.

Intentionality guides human behaviour, and it requires continuous encouragement to develop and endure. We cannot control external motivation. Only healthy autosuggestion can support us in our ongoing learning and development. If properly nurtured from an early age, autosuggestion can significantly impact future success. It empowers children to keep looking for a life direction that suits them and enables them to maximize their potential. Children who practice autosuggestion are often highly proactive in both studying and creative work. They are more willing to learn and improve and adopt a growth mindset. This is why at Hiba Nantong, we will help our Nursery pupils build strong and positive autosuggestion habits.

Hiba Academy Nantong,will provide a safe, dynamic and encouraging environment for children to grow, develop and become lifelong learners. In keeping with our bilingual model of education, each class will be assigned a Chinese teacher and a foreign teacher who is a native English speaker. Every day, pupils will take part in a 15- or 30-minute bilingual carpet session. Each teacher will speak in their mother tongue (they do not translate each other). They will ask questions and discuss topics relevant to recent lessons. Our Chinese teachers are themselves bilingual and will set an example for pupils on how to effectively code-switch between Chinese and English. Our teachers will also encourage the children to speak English openly, starting small with letters and building up to words and then simple sentences. Our teachers will help to build their confidence as they progress.

Hiba Nursery teachers willcarefully observe how our pupils learn and what activities and interestsenergise them. Every activity will bring with it an opportunity forobservation, whether it is a reading session, sports or even snack time. Basedon these observations, teachers will design themed activities to expand andenrich their learning. We will cherish every intellectual spark in our pupils,encouraging them to think and express themselves. Our teachers will make surethey will feel valued and recognised. As our pupils advance in their learningjourney, our teachers will provide positive reinforcement that will teach themto celebrate their growth and achievements. They will be encouraged to explorenew challenges and try new things. This is essential in buildingself-confidence. 

Low confidence stems from a fear of failure, and a fear of failure often stems from a lack of encouragement. Young children always require positive reinforcement. However, our pupils are only with us for part of the day, therefore, a parent-teacher partnership is essential to building a child’s confidence. You, as parents have an important role to play in cultivating confidence in your children. This means providing positive feedback and encouragement for them outside the classroom. In the long run, this will help them develop a can-do attitude and a problem-solving mindset.

The learning journey is long and full of challenges, but it is deeply rewarding. A healthy sense of self-fulfilment through positive reinforcement and autosuggestion will provide our youngest pupils with a recipe for success. By instilling such positive habits of mind, pupils at Hiba Academy Nantong will become ‘cheerleaders’ for themselves.